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Abstract:

A remote control (RC) has a touch pad and user touches on the pad are
correlated to pad positions. The positions are sent to a remote display
device and mapped to corresponding locations on the display of the
display device as though the user were touching the display of the
display device, not the touch pad of the RC.

Claims:

1. A remote control (RC) comprising: a portable hand held housing; at
least one touch sensitive surface on the housing; at least one processor
in the housing communicating with the surface; at least one wireless
transmitter controlled by the processor; and computer readable storage
medium accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by
the processor to configure the processor to: receive a signal
representing a touch on the surface; determine a type of touch based on
the a signal representing a touch on the surface; determine a location of
the touch on the surface; and transmit a signal representing the type of
touch and the location of the touch to a video device.

2. The RC of claim 1, wherein the location is a geometric location on the
surface.

3. The RC of claim 2, wherein the geometric location is a location on a
matrix grid system, and the signal sent to the display device indicates
the geometric location.

4. The RC of claim 1, wherein the type of touch is a tap.

5. The RC of claim 1, wherein the type of touch is a click characterized
by greater finder pressure on the surface than a tap.

6. The RC of claim 1, wherein the type of touch is a double tap.

7. The RC of claim 1, wherein the type of touch is a long push
characterized by pressure against an area of the surface for a period
exceeding a threshold period.

8. The RC of claim 1, wherein the type of touch is a pinch.

9. A remote control (RC) comprising: a portable hand held housing; at
least one touch sensitive surface on the housing; at least one processor
in the housing communicating with the surface; at least one wireless
transmitter controlled by the processor; and computer readable storage
medium accessible to the processor and bearing instructions executable by
the processor to configure the processor to send touch-generated signals
to a video device, wherein the housing supports, in addition to the touch
sensitive surface, a navigation rocker manipulable to move a screen
cursor up, down, left, and right, a home key, a play key, a pause key,
and a guide key.

10. The RC of claim 9, wherein the housing further supports: a subtitle
key manipulable to cause a video device in wireless communication with
the RC to present subtitles on a display.

11. The RC of claim 9, wherein the housing further supports: an input key
manipulable to cause a video device in wireless communication with the RC
to change a content input to a display.

12. The RC of claim 9, further comprising a keyboard coupled to the
housing.

13. The RC of claim 9, wherein the touch sensitive surface on the housing
includes a right scroll area along a right edge of the touch sensitive
surface on the housing, wherein responsive to a user stroke in the right
scroll area, the processor sends a signal to a video device to move a
screen presentation up or down in the direction of the stroke.

14. The RC of claim 9, wherein the touch sensitive surface on the housing
includes a bottom scroll area along a bottom edge of the touch sensitive
surface on the housing, wherein responsive to a user stroke in the bottom
scroll area, the processor sends a signal to a video device to move a
screen presentation left or right in the direction of the stroke.

15. The RC of claim 9, wherein the touch sensitive surface on the housing
includes a fast reverse key area on a first corner of the surface,
wherein responsive to a user touch in the fast reverse key area, the
processor sends a signal to a video device to play content currently
being played by the video device in fast reverse.

16. The RC of claim 9, wherein the touch sensitive surface on the housing
includes a fast forward key area on a second corner of the surface,
wherein responsive to a user touch in the fast forward key area, the
processor sends a signal to a video device to play content currently
being played by the video device in fast forward.

17. A remote control (RC) comprising: a touch surface; a wireless
transmitter sending signals to a controlled device responsive to user
touches on the touch surface, the signals indicating positions on the
surface at which the user touched the surface, the positions being sent
to a remote display device and mapped to corresponding locations on the
display of the display device as though the user were touching the
display of the display device, not the touch surface of the RC.

18. The RC of claim 17, comprising a processor in the RC configured to:
determine a type of touch based on the touch on the surface; determine a
location of the touch on the surface; and transmit a signal representing
the type of touch and the location of the touch to a video device.

19. The RC of claim 17, wherein the location is a geometric location on
the surface.

20. The RC of claim 17, wherein the RC includes a housing bearing: a
navigation rocker manipulable to move a screen cursor up, down, left, and
right, a home key, a play key, a pause key, and a guide key.

[0003] Modern TVs such as the Sony Bravia (trademark) present native user
interfaces (UI) to allow viewers to select an audio video (AV) input
source, to launch non-broadcast TV applications such as video telephone
applications (e.g., Skype), and so on. As understood herein, many viewers
of TVs may prefer to access application-based UIs, with which many
viewers may be as or more familiar than they are with native TV UIs, and
which increase a viewer's range of choices by allowing a user to view
application-based content such as Internet video.

[0004] In any case, users continue to expect to control TVS using remote
controls (RC). Conventionally, user input to consumer electronics
products is mainly through buttons and a mouse except one with touch
screen. As understood herein, however, user gestures and touch input are
a convenient, easy and intuitive way for user to provide input
specifically for devices offering entertainment like TV, set top box
(STB), and devices supporting applications without touch screen. Since
these devices are not hand held devices, they don't have touch screen but
have remotes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] A remote control (RC) for a video display device (VDD) uses touch
gestures as a solution for ease of operation of entertainment devices.
Both absolute touches are used, in which a track pad area of the RC is
mapped to a screen area of the VDD and the track pad simulates screen
display (touch screen) for the user, allowing the user to touch specific
areas on the screen by touching the corresponding area on track pad.
Touch inputs such as tap, press, etc. are sent to the VDD and the VDD
processes the inputs as if they come from the (non-touch) display of the
VDD.

[0006] Additionally, various gestures can be derived based on movement of
a user finger over the RC touch pad and can be mapped to various events
depending on the application involved.

[0007] Accordingly, a remote control (RC) includes a portable hand held
housing, a touch sensitive surface on the housing, and a processor in the
housing communicating with the surface. A wireless transmitter is
controlled by the processor. A computer readable storage medium is
accessible to the processor and bears instructions executable by the
processor to configure the processor to receive a signal representing a
touch on the surface, and determine a type of touch based on the signal
representing a touch on the surface. The processor determines a location
of the touch on the surface and transmits a signal representing the type
of touch and the location of the touch to a video device.

[0008] The location can be a geometric location on the surface, and
specifically can be a location on a matrix grid system, and the signal
sent to the display device indicates the geometric location. The type of
touch may be a tap, a click characterized by greater finder pressure on
the surface than a tap, a double tap, a long push characterized by
pressure against an area of the surface for a period exceeding a
threshold period, or a pinch.

[0009] In another aspect, a remote control (RC) includes a portable hand
held housing, a touch sensitive surface on the housing, and a processor
in the housing communicating with the surface. A wireless transmitter is
controlled by the processor. A computer readable storage medium is
accessible to the processor and bears instructions executable by the
processor to configure the processor to send touch-generated signals to a
video device. The housing supports, in addition to the touch sensitive
surface, a navigation rocker manipulable to move a screen cursor up,
down, left, and right, a home key, a play key, a pause key, and a guide
key.

[0010] In another aspect, remote control (RC) has a touch pad and user
touches on the pad are correlated to pad positions. The positions are
sent to a remote display device and mapped to corresponding locations on
the display of the display device as though the user were touching the
display of the display device, not the touch pad of the RC.

[0011] The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and
operation, can be best understood in reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in
which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a non-limiting example system in
accordance with present principles;

[0015]FIG. 4 is a plan view of an example implementation of the VDD RC,
showing side views exploded away from the plan view;

[0016]FIG. 5 is a plan view of an example implementation of the AVAM RC;

[0017]FIG. 6 is a plan view of an example implementation of the keyboard
for either RC;

[0018] FIG. 7 is a plan view of the touch pad of one of the RCs
illustrating scroll areas;

[0019] FIG. 8 is a plan view of the touch pad of one of the RCs
illustrating function areas; and

[0020] FIGS. 9-12 are tables indicating various example touch types.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0021] Referring initially to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a
system generally designated 10 is shown. The system 10 includes a game
console 12 and a disk player 14. The system 10 also includes a display
device 16 that includes a processor 18, tangible computer readable
storage medium 20 such as disk-based or solid state storage, a tuner 22,
display 24, and speakers 26. In some embodiments, the display device 16
may be, but is not limited to, a television (TV) such as a Sony Bravia
high-definition television manufactured by Sony Corporation. In some
examples, the TV processor executes a Linux operating system to provide
applications apart from TV channel presentation. It is to be understood
that the display device 16 may present on the display 24 and/or speakers
26 its own user interface (UI), referred to herein as a "native" UI under
control of the processor 18.

[0022] The device 16 also includes an audio-visual (A/V) interface 28 to
communicate with other devices such as the game console 12 and disk
player 14 in accordance with present principles. The A/V interface may be
used, e.g., in a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) context for
communicating over an HDMI cable through an HDMI port on the display
device 16 with, e.g., the game console 12. However, other A/V interface
technologies may be used in lieu of or in conjunction with HDMI
communication to implement/execute present principles, as may be
appreciated by those within the art. For instance, e.g., cloud computing,
IP networks, national electrical code (NEC) communication, coaxial
communication, fiber optic communication, component video communication,
video graphics array (VGA) communication, etc., may be used.

[0023] Still in reference to FIG. 1, an audio-video application module
(AVAM) 30 is shown as being connected to the Internet 32. It is to be
understood that the audio-video application module 30 includes a tangible
computer readable storage medium 34 such as disk-based or solid state
storage, as well as a processor 36, a network interface 38 such as a
wired or wireless modem or router or other appropriate interface, e.g., a
wireless telephony transceiver, and an audio-visual interface 40 that is
configured to communicate with the audio-visual interface 28 of the
display device 16 and, if desired, any other modules in the system 10
such as the game console 12 and display player 14 over, e.g., HDMI
connections or any of the other connection types listed above. The VAM 30
may execute an operating system than that executed by the TV processor.
For instance, in an example embodiment the AVAM 30 is a Google TV module
executing the Android operating system.

[0024] Furthermore, it is to be understood that the processor 18 and
processor 36, in addition to any other processors in the system 10 such
as in the game console 12 and 14, are capable of executing all or part of
the logic discussed herein as appropriate to undertake present
principles. Moreover, software code implementing present logic executable
by, e.g., the processors 18 and 36 may be stored on one of the memories
shown (the computer readable storage mediums 20 and 34) to undertake
present principles.

[0025] Continuing in reference to FIG. 1, a remote commander (RC) 42
associated with the display device 16 and referred to herein as the
"native" RC is shown. An RC 44 associated with the AVAM 30 is also shown.
The RCs 42, 44 function according to description below, and are alike
except for certain differences in keys and layouts discussed further
below.

[0026] The RCs 42 and 44 have respective processors 46 and 48, respective
computer readable storage mediums 50 and 52, and respective one or more
input devices 54 and 56 such as, but not limited to, touch screen
displays and/or cameras (for sensing user gestures on a touch surface or
imaged by a camera that are then correlated to particular commands, such
as scroll left/right and up/down, etc.) keypads, accelerometers (for
sensing motion that can be correlated to a scroll command or other
command), microphones for voice recognition technology for receiving user
commands. The RCs 42 and 44 also include respective
transmitters/receivers 58 and 60 (referred to herein simply as
transmitters 58 and 60 for convenience) for transmitting user commands
under control of the respective processors 46 and 48 received through the
input devices 54 and 56.

[0027] It is to be understood that the transmitters 58 and 60 may
communicate not only with transmitters on their associated devices via
wireless technology such as RF and/or infrared (i.e. the transmitter 58
under control of the processor 46 may communicate with a transmitter 62
on the display device 16 and the transmitter 60 under control of the
processor 48 may communicate with a transmitter 64 on the AVAM 30), but
may also communicate with the transmitters of other devices in some
embodiments. The transmitters 58 and 60 may also receive signals from
either or both the transmitter 62 on the display device 16 and
transmitter 64 of the AVAM 30. Thus, it is to be understood that the
transmitters/receivers 58 and 60 allow for bi-directional communication
between the remote commanders 42 and 44 and respective display device 16
and AVAM 30.

[0028] Now in reference to FIG. 2, the logic executed by an RC according
to present principles is shown. For disclosure purposes, touch surface
input will be assumed, it being understood that present principles apply
to motion of the RC as sensed by an accelerometer, voice command as
sensed by a microphone, non-touch gesture as sensed by a camera. At block
70, a touch is received on the touch pad or surface of the RC at one or
more locations on the touch pad. The type of touch is determined at block
72, e.g., whether the touch is a soft or hard touch, sliding motion,
indeed a release of pressure by a finger, which itself may be used to
indicate a particular command. Various types of touches are divulged
further below and include, among other touches, taps, clicks
characterized by greater finder pressure on the touch surface than a tap,
double taps, a long push characterized by pressure against an area of the
touch surface for a period exceeding a threshold period, and pinched.
Likewise, various types of motion of the RC as sensed by the
accelerometer can be correlated to commands, e.g., a motion to the left
can be interpreted as a command to "scroll left" while a motion to the
right can be interpreted as a command to "scroll right". Similarly, hand
gestures imaged by the camera can be correlated to respective commands.

[0029] Then, at block 74 the type of touch along with the location(s) of
the touch on the pad are sent to a video device (VD) such as the display
device 16 or AVAM 30. The location is a geometric location on the display
and in one implementation is a location on a matrix grid system, and the
signal sent to the video device indicates the geometric location.

[0030] Complementary logic that is executed by a video device receiving
signals from the RC is shown in FIG. 3. At block 76 the type of touch and
location of the touch are received from the RC. Block 78 indicates that
the location received from the RC is registered to a geometrically
equivalent location on a display controlled by the video device. For
example, assume the touch surface of the RC has a matrix of touch points
numbering 100 by 100, and the location received from the RC indicates a
touch at point in the matrix 10 units from the top and 10 units from the
right edge. Assume that the display controlled by the video device has a
display 1000 pixels by 1000 pixels. At block 78 the video device converts
the location signal from the RC to a geometrically equivalent location on
its display by multiplying by ten, determining that the touch should be
regarded as having occurred relative to the display controlled by the
video device 100 pixels from the top and 100 pixels from the right edge
of the display.

[0031] Proceeding to block 80, based on the type of touch and
geometrically equivalent display location, the video device correlates
the touch signal to a command, which is executed at block 82 by the video
device. Thus, for example, knowing a tap was received and knowing what
selector element of a user interface corresponds to the geometrically
equivalent display position determined at block 78, the video device
knows what the user manipulating the RC and viewing the display intended
to select by the touch, and by the nature (type) of the touch knows which
one of potentially multiple commands, each associated with a type of
touch, the user intended by the selection of the selector element.

[0032]FIG. 4 shows an example implementation of the display device RC 42
shown in FIG. 1, while FIG. 5 shows an example implementation of the AVAM
RC 44 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 4, the RC 42 includes a portable
hand held housing 84 that holds the above-described touch sensitive
surface 54, processor, wireless transmitter, and computer readable
storage medium. In addition to the touch sensitive surface, a navigation
rocker 86 is on the housing and is manipulable to move a screen cursor
up, down, left, and right, as shown by the arrows on the rocker 86. Note
that the rocker 86 may not actually physically rock about axes but may
include four separate touch areas or switches. Also, a home key 88, a
play key 90, a pause key 92, and a guide key 94 are on the housing as
shown to respectively cause a controlled display to show a home menu,
play a video, pause the video, and present a program guide. The play and
pause keys may be below (relative to the user, i.e., closer to the user's
torso) the touch pad 54 as shown while the home and guide keys and rocket
86 may be above the touch surface.

[0033] Also supported on the housing is a subtitle key 96 manipulable to
cause a video device in wireless communication with the RC to present
subtitles on a display. Moreover, an input key 98 is manipulable to cause
a video device in wireless communication with the RC to change a content
input to a display. A microphone 99 may be supported on the housing for
voice command input. Above the input key 98 are side-by-side power keys
100 for energizing and deenergizing a controlled display device and an
associated amplifier. Additional keys may include a back key 102 for
causing a controlled device to return to a previous menu or screen and
letter keys A-D 104, each with a distinctive geometric boundary as shown,
for inputting respective control signals typically in response to a
display prompting input of a particular letter for a particular command
or service. All of these keys are also contained on the RC 44 in FIG. 5
as shown, except that the input key 98 on the RC 42 of FIG. 4 is below
the power keys 100 while on the RC 44 in FIG. 5 is in the same row as the
power keys. Also, the RC 44 in FIG. 5 contains a digital video record
(DVR) key 104 to cause commands to be sent a DVR.

[0034] As also shown in FIG. 4, it being understood that the side surfaces
of the RC 44 shown in FIG. 5 may include identical structure, the left
side surface 106 of the RC 42 includes an indicator light 108 such as a
light emitting diode (LED) to indicate the presence of a communication
link between the RC 42 and a controlled device. A release button 110 may
also be provided to release a battery cover of the device. On the right
side surface 112 are volume up/down selectors 114 and channel up/down
selectors 116, and a second button 118 to release a battery cover of the
device. Just below the touch pad 54 a "function" indicator light 120 may
be disposed on the housing to indicate a function currently invoked.
Either RC 42, 44 may be coupled to a keyboard 122 shown in FIG. 6 with
function light 124 which may be illuminated at the same time as the
function light 120 on the RC so that both the keyboard and RC indicate a
connection therebetween exists.

[0035] FIGS. 7 and 8 show that the touch surface 54 of the RC 42 (with the
same disclosure applying to the touch surface of the RC 44) may include
dedicated regions which, when touched, invoke particular predetermined
commands. Specifically, a right scroll area 130 may be defined along a
right edge 132 of the touch sensitive display 54. Responsive to a user
stroke in the right scroll area 130, the RC processor sends a signal to a
video device to move a screen presentation (such as a cursor or series of
thumbnails) up or down in the direction of the stroke. Likewise, a bottom
scroll area 134 may be defined along a bottom edge 136 of the touch
sensitive surface, and responsive to a user stroke in the bottom scroll
area 134, the RC processor sends a signal to a video device to move a
screen cursor left or right in the direction of the stroke. In one
implementation, the scrolling of the cursor continues as long as the
user's finger remains on contact with the surface 54, whether moving or
nor and whether inside the scroll area or not. Scrolling stops when the
user's finger is released from the surface. Accordingly, in this example
a release of pressure by a finger is interpreted as command to "stop
scrolling". Note that the areas 130, 134 may not be invoked as described
until a user presses for a predetermined time on a predetermined keying
area of the touch surface, such as the right bottom corner 138.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows additional dedicated areas of the touch surface 54
that may be defined. A fast reverse key area 140 may be defined on a
first corner (such as the left bottom corner as shown) of the surface 54.
Responsive to a user touch in the fast reverse key area 140, the RC
processor sends a signal to a video device to play content currently
being played by the video device in fast reverse. Also, a fast forward
key area 142 may be defined on a second corner (such as the right bottom
corner as shown) of the surface. Responsive to a user touch in the fast
forward key area, the RC processor sends a signal to a video device to
play content currently being played by the video device in fast forward.

[0037] FIGS. 9-11 illustrate various example non-limiting touch types and
their definitions, while FIG. 12 correlates certain touch types to
specific commands for multiple applications listed in the left column of
FIG. 12.

[0038] While the particular REMOTE TOUCH GESTURES is herein shown and
described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which
is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.